My Friend Gale
A memory and a couple of tidbits
Before I begin today’s post, let me give my heartfelt congratulations to MW Chris Haynes, our newly installed Grand Master of Masons here in the Evergreen State!
Saturday night found me sitting at a dinner table with the Past Grand Masters of Washington, and with a number of sitting Grand Masters and Past Grand Masters of other Jurisdictions. It was the annual meeting of our Past Grand Masters Association.
I was looking across at MW Gale.
Now MW Gale was our Grand Master when I received the Degrees of Masonry. And I’ll never forget that fact, because he came to visit my Lodge when I’d been an Entered Apprentice for perhaps only a couple of weeks.
You see, here I was, minding my own business, just coming to Lodge so that I could perhaps learn something about this new organization that I’d just become a part of. And it was declared that this was going to be a really important night, because the Grand Master was coming for a visit.
And it may have been MW Steve, the Mason who served as Senior Deacon for my Entered Apprentice Degree, who decided to scare the new guy. (Or it was someone else, I honestly don’t remember, but Steve was one of the most welcoming fellows to me, and while we were sitting at the table this weekend I decided with absolutely zero evidence that it must have been him.)
Anywho, the idea was hatched to terrorize the new guy. Me being said new guy of course.
So, I was assured that the Grand Master, this Gale fellow was mean, terrifying actually. That we’d better all be on our best, most courtly behavior, or the consequences could be horrible. Now of course, I’d just learned about consequences while taking the Obligation of an Entered Apprentice Mason.
My new Brothers did their best to build MW Gale up to be some kind of psycho, and of course, in a Masonic Lodge swords can tend to be abundant.
Then they declared that the Lodge forgot to buy milk. And that if Gale didn’t have his milk, heads would certainly roll.
As the new guy, it was determined my job to run over to the local convenience store to buy some milk for the Grand Master. And it better be the right kind of milk too, or god only knew what kind of insane reaction the Grand Master might have. Masonic careers, including my own, could be ruined.
So, I went to get some milk.
And while I assumed that much of what I’d been hearing was hyperbole, I couldn’t help but wonder just what kind of outfit I’d become a part of. You know, with crazy, mean, Grand Masters that grown men were afraid of and all that.
Then I met MW Gale, our Grand Master, and figured out that he’s a really nice guy!
Yep, the bastards had been lying to the new guy, trying to get him all worked up and nervous.
I’d never admit it, but they half-way succeeded. After all, when some grizzled old guy with a long white beard starts telling you something, you tend to listen.
A lot of years passed, I’d see Gale from time to time usually at our Annual Communications, occasionally somewhere else. He never tried to murder me, and he always seemed to look and live as a Mason should.
Eventually I followed him into the Grand East. Then a couple of years after that, my Lodge’s Senior Deacon, Steve did as well. Not bad for two fellows from a little country Lodge.
Gale and I used to argue from time to time while I was Grand Master. He was the head of the Jurisprudence Committee, so in a way it was his job to argue with me.
We certainly have some differences in our views about Freemasonry, and about the best way to ensure that it has a bright and shining future. Some of my ideas seem wrong to him, and some of his seem wrong to me.
Of course we agree much more often than we disagree, as is the nature of Masons.
But still to this day, all these years later, when I think about the title Grand Master, well Gale’s picture pops into my head. When I know that he and I will be attending the same event, I look forward to seeing him. And I treasure our conversations, and even our gentle occasional ribbing.
I think that this relationship points to something of profound importance within Freemasonry.
The ability to find and enjoy fellowship with quality men whom one would have never met otherwise. Gale and I are from different generations, different geographical areas, different professions, with different interests, and probably different political beliefs.
But through Freemasonry I had an opportunity to meet him. I had an opportunity to view him as a mentor, even though he never knew that I was looking up to him. I have an opportunity to think of him as a friend.
And that has added invaluable richness to my experience of life.
Our fellow Masons are true treasures, our Craft gives us the opportunity to discover them.
Are you going to Esotericon at Verity Lodge this upcoming weekend? If so, and you live down in Southwest Washington, how would you feel about carpooling? I’ll spring for the gas if you’ll take me as a rider.
Just reply to this email to reach me.
If you’re looking for more from me, I’ve collected some of my recent favorites over on my LinkTree.
It is always good to see MWB Gale out and about. It is especially entertaining to sit at Table Lodge with RWB Coe and MWB Gale as they regale everyone with old shenanigans and offer greetings and salutations to each other across the table. 😂
I would highly recommend checking out the Daylight Table Lodge the next time they have one. Have a Blessed one and safe Travels MWB Bailey.
MW Gale.
What a blast!
I was his Deputy for his term as our Grand Master. It’s been a while, 17 years. “So, I was assured that the Grand Master, this Gale fellow was mean, terrifying actually.” “My new Brothers did their best to build MW Gale up to be some kind of psycho…” “And it better be the right kind of milk too, or god only knew what kind of insane reaction the Grand Master might have.”
So, to answer your 3 quotes:
Mean and terrifying only when he’s chairing a committee. Some kind of psycho only when you have a computer keyboard and dare to push the shift key and the number 3 at the same time. And last but not least, it’s 2%. I learned that before he was Grand Master, not knowing that eventually I’d become one of his Deputies.
Let me add to that – from personal experience, never attempt to listen to a presentation given by MW Gale when you have a hangover. NOT Gale’s fault, by the way.
Every Grand Master is going to have his fun, memorable moments where the craft shines, and there are always going to be those moments where he will have to deal with some sort of ShitShow at the Lodge or even district level. It’s what you have to prepare for when you go through the Grand Line then get installed into the Grand East. But from my District’s standpoint? One hiccup that I reported to Gale, who directed me to pay closer attention to that Lodge. It was largely a great year for District 17 under Gale’s year. And we still chat about things to this day. It’s great when you still have a solid relationship with the Grand Master you served as Deputy for.
Interestingly, as you mention you and MW Steve following as Grand Master, I had two fellow Deputies under Gale that became Grand Master – MWB Sam Roberts in District 8 and MWB Bruce Vesper in District 23. Another couple of Legendary names under his Grand Officers: you remember VW Cary Cope, who was his Grand Lecturer, and we cannot forget his Grand Historian, 70-year member VWB Coe Tug Morgan. DeMolay legend Jeff Brunson was the Grand Standard Bearer. And Gale’s Annual Communication was held in our back yard, at the Great Wolf. Quite an honor to escort Centralia Mayor Harlan Thompson. I had already known him from being a business owner downtown, so that was double-cool!